I have a dream
by tokiya
Summary: A few years after Makishima's death, Akane received a note from an old friend. [Akane's POV]


Disclaimer : The characters of Psycho-Pass belong to Production I.G. and Funimation.

Summary : A few years after Makishima's death, Akane received a note from an old friend.

Theme song : Sonata No. 8 'Pathetique' Adagio cantabile (Beethoven)

* * *

Her footsteps resonated through emptiness of the abolition block. With a crumbled piece of paper in one hand, Akane walked quietly to the designated point.

Her heart was beating so fast she could almost hear its pounding. The ink on the paper blurred with the perspiration from her palm, but the message was burned into her memory.

There were no greetings or even a sentence in the message. Just an address with the time.

The note was delivered to her room two days ago from an anonymous sender, but she remembered the handwriting. Among her friends and acquaintances, there was only one person with such a neat, well-organized handwriting.

Looking at the uniquely flowing letters, hope and despair, the two sides of a coin, had blossomed within her.

After so many years of silence, what did _he_ want?

Of course he wouldn't come to turn himself in, or he wouldn't purposely have chosen this abolition block, which was safe from Sibyl system's prying eyes, in the first place. For this reason, she did not bring the Dominator with her. She knew it was quite reckless for a woman to stroll into an abolition block unarmed, but _he_ worth the risk.

Finally, she arrived at the meeting point. It was an abandoned warehouse which looked so old it might crumble at any moment. Opening the rusty door, she went inside.

The warehouse was dark and empty with thin rays of sunlight streaming through the windows near the ceiling. Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness, a painfully familiar voice spoke up from behind.

"Long time no see, inspector."

Her heart skipping a beat, she froze. Was it really him? She did not dare turn around in fear that it was just someone with a similar voice. The greater the hope, the deeper the despair.

With a trembling voice, she asked tentatively, "Kougami-san?"

He laughed softly. "Has it been too long?"

Her stiffened body relaxed; there was no mistaking that laughter. It really was her ex-Enforcer. The shadowed form of Kougami Shinya slowly came into view as she turned around.

He looked exactly as she remembered him. No, maybe a bit more handsome.

Akane almost cried; she had seen him die in her many nightmares, which had been probably caused by his continued silence. Seeing him alive and well right before her eyes lifted an enormous weight, which she hadn't been aware it was there, from her chest. Barely suppressing the urge to run into his arms and never let him go, she asked the question that had been bothering her since the note arrived.

"Kougami-san, why are you here?"

A small silence ensued. It was a bit difficult to see the expression on his shadowed face, but she could hear a hint of nervousness in his deep, smooth voice.

"...I was worried..."

Her brows knitted with sudden anger. He was worried!? After breaking the only promise he had made to her, refusing her attempt to salvage him ruthlessly, and being absent for such a long time, he had the nerve to suddenly come back and say he was worried! Was this some kind of bad joke?

"... that you wouldn't let go."

Her anger suddenly deflated, being replaced by a sick, hollow feeling in her chest. She realized then that he came here not to atone for the long lonely years she had been through since that fateful day, but to give them the chance to properly say goodbye.

Although he had disappeared supposedly for good, for her, their relationship had never reached complete closure. At the deepest corner inside her heart, there had always been a fragile yet constant hope that somehow they would meet again. But now...

He was destroying the only thing that kept her together. Her sanity.

She felt hot tears welling up her eyes. "How could I!?" Her lips curving into a sarcastic smile, she continued, "After all we have been through together, you'll always be a part of me, Kougami-san, not to mention a big one, whether you like it or not."

He sighed. "Akane, you have a long future ahead of you. It's time to move forward now, don't you think?"

Shaking her head stubbornly, Akane fisted her hands. "Don't destroy the only thing that's keeping me whole. ...Please."

_...Tell me a lie, but don't say goodbye. _

Crystal droplets slid down her flushed cheeks. Akane felt like her heart was breaking all over again like that horrible evening.

He slowly shortened the distance between them before tracing her tears with his thumb.

"Don't cry. I'm not worth it."

Her temper flared once more. Why did he have to insist on belittling himself? Couldn't he see he was _everything_ to her?

Slapping his hand away, she said angrily, "Don't you dare think so little of yourself!" Seeing his eyes widen with something akin to surprise, her voice weakened to a gentle whisper. "You're worth everything to me, Kougami-san. I don't care if I have to be alone for the rest of my life, but please... Don't make me let go of you."

His grey eyes softened. "Akane…"

With a faraway look in her eyes, she smiled sadly. "I have a dream, you know? A dream in which we meet as equals. Where I can be there for you during the worst moments of your life. Where I might be able to make you happy despite all the horrible things you have gone through." _….A dream in which you don't leave me behind. _

She couldn't look at him anymore. Overwhelmed with despondence, her eyes dropped to her feet.

Touching her chin, he urged her gaze back to his face. "I have a dream too."

Now she was mesmerized by those grey orbs. Never before had she seen them so clouded with sadness and resignation.

With a small smile on his lips, he continued, "A dream in which we meet in a world where everyone decides for himself. Where our souls are secret to the world. Where people follow their hearts instead of numbers."

"…Kougami-san…"

He rubbed her cheek gently. "…Where we can fall in love without being criticized for our choice."

Leaning into his touch, she closed her eyes and sighed sadly. Although their dreams couldn't be realized, now she knew for sure her feelings for him were not unrequited. That should be enough…

Then her eyes flew open as a thought struck her. Surely her dream couldn't be realized, but as for his…..

His dream depended on her choice. The problem was whether she had enough courage to realize it or not. Could she throw everything –her family, her friends, her career, and possibly her homeland– away just to be with him?

"…Akane?"

Staring into his eyes, she thought about the past few years. She could not say she had been unhappy; she had a comfortable house, a promising career, loving parents, reliable friends, but never since that day had a genuine smile graced her lips. She had laughed from time to time, but those laughters had never reached her soul.

She realized then, that her time had stood still since the moment Makishima died.

Did she have the courage to start living again?

Looking at his handsome face, which was now creased with worry, she found the answer. It was so clear and simple she almost cried. Why had she not thought about it before?

As long as this man was by her side, she would be happy.

"You have a wonderful dream, Kougami-san." Her eyes curved with her smile, which was not so empty anymore. "Let's make it come true."

After a moment of perplexity, his eyes widened in shock as he understood her intention and its gravity. "Akane, I don't think…"

Grabbing his hand, she cut him off. "I know what my happiness is, and I won't be afraid to take it anymore. Let me be selfish for once, please…"

"Akane…." Hesitation clearly in his voice, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Circling her arms around his neck, she tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "Absolutely."

His voice was thick with emotions. She could see a pained relief written on his features. "…Thank you."

With their first kiss, her time started ticking again.


End file.
